Government
PM Modi’s four-day Central Asia visit begins with Tashkent stop
PM Modi began a four-day Central Asia visit on August 29, starting with a bilateral trip to Uzbekistan before heading to Kyrgyzstan for the 26th SCO Summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s four-day Central Asia visit began on August 29 with a stop in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The August 29-30 bilateral leg includes delegation-level talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev aimed at deepening the India-Uzbekistan strategic partnership.
Trade, investment, defence, digital connectivity, healthcare, energy and education are all on the agenda, alongside critical minerals, pharmaceuticals and space cooperation.
From Uzbekistan, PM Modi will travel to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from August 31 to September 1 to attend the 26th SCO Summit, marking the organisation’s 25th anniversary.
India’s focus at the summit is expected to be security, connectivity and economic opportunity, with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin also scheduled to attend.
From Tashkent, the Prime Minister will travel to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, for the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit, marking the bloc’s 25th anniversary.
India’s priority themes at the SCO Summit are expected to centre on security, connectivity and economic opportunity, with counter-terrorism and regional cooperation also on the agenda.
The Bishkek leg is expected to draw a wide roster of leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, alongside representatives from other SCO member states.
PM Modi is also expected to attend the opening ceremony of the sixth World Nomad Games while in Kyrgyzstan, adding a cultural dimension to the multilateral leg of the trip.
This marks PM Modi’s fourth visit to Uzbekistan, reflecting the sustained diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Tashkent over the past decade.
The visit will include delegation-level talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, covering trade, investment, defence, digital connectivity, healthcare, energy, education and technology cooperation.
Officials expect discussions to also touch on critical minerals, pharmaceuticals and space cooperation, areas both countries have flagged as priorities for expanding the relationship.
PM Modi is scheduled to visit the Lal Bahadur Shastri memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at Tashkent State University as part of the cultural component of the trip.
Official portrait of PM Narendra Modi, Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India